Methods of and apparatus for transferring successive sheets of material



July 7, 1970 P. w. MILLER METHODS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFEHRING SUCCESSIVE SHEETS OF MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1968 INVENTOR. PAUL. W M\L.\ E\ 2 ATTOFA/ffi y 1970 P. w. MILLER METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING SUCCESSIVE SHEETS 0F MATERIAL Filed April 5, 1968 2 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR. PAUL. W M LLER A 7 ra/e/ve s United States Patent 3,519,267 METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFER- RING SUCCESSIVE SHEETS OF MATERIAL Paul W. Miller, Warren, Ohio, assignor to Wean Industries, Inc., Warren, Ohio Filed Apr. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 718,427 Int. Cl. B65h 29/16, /02

US. Cl. 271-76 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus and method for transferring successive sheets of material from a sheet-discharging device to a distant sheet-receiving device along paths which insure proper entry of sheets into the sheet-receiving device despite variations in the positions of sheets successively discharged by said sheet-discharging device.

PREAMBLE In many manufacturing processes, successive sheets of material are transported from a sheet-discharging device, such as a shear, to a sheet-receiving device, such as a stacker, the latter having a sheet entry path with which entering sheets must substantially align. While it is possible in many instances to provide edge guides for engaging the moving sheets discharged by the sheet-discharging device to insure proper sheet entry into the stacker, such guides are not practical where the sheets as discharged are materially misaligned with the stacker entry path or Where the sheets are of such nature that they would be damaged by engagement with edge guides.

The present invention transports successive sheets of material to a sheet-receiving device, such as a stacker, in substantial alignment with the latters sheet entry path, despite misalignment between such entry path and the path of discharge of the sheets from the sheet-discharging device, and without forcing the sheets to the necessary alignment by sheet edge guides. These and other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the appended drawings, and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a generally diagrammatic, side elevational view of apparatus embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus seen in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view generally corresponding to the line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view generally corresponding to the line 44 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing certain parts in another position.

SUMMARY Interposed between a sheet-discharging device and a sheet-receiving device is a sheet-transfer conveyor mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The sheetreceiving device has a sheet entry path with which entering sheets must substantially align while the sheet-discharging device may discharge sheets along a path which may not be aligned with the sheet entry path aforesaid and moreover, may discharge successive sheets along paths which differ from each other.

The pivoted axis of the sheet-transfer conveyor bisects the sheet entry path of the sheet-receiving device and the conveyor is shifted about such axis in response to sensing means which detects the amount of misalignment of each sheet as it is discharged from the sheet-discharging device. The conveyor is so shifted about its pivot that each sheet will be carried by the conveyor along whatever path is necessary to insure substantial alignment of ice each sheet with the entry path of the sheet-receiving means upon arrival of such sheet at the latter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference character 10 designates a fragmentarily shown, sheet-discharging device which may be a shear or any other device which successively discharges sheets S of metal or other material. As herein disclosed, the sheets S are carried away from the shear by a run-out conveyor 11.

Spaced from the sheet 10 is a sheet-receiving device 12 which may be a stacker or any other device, which successively receives sheets S discharged from the shear 10. As herein disclosed, stacker 12 provides upstanding rear and side Walls 13, 14 and 15 which closely receive the sheets S therebetween in order to stack successive sheets in vertical alignment. For purpose of guiding the sheets S into the stacker, the entry ends of side walls 14, 15 are curved outwardly at 16. The reference character 17 (FIG. 2) designates the axis of an entry path with which sheets entering the stacker 12 must substantially align if they are to center between the side walls 14, 15 and it will be noted that axis 17 coincides with the longitudinal axis 18 of the shear 10.

Interposed between the shear 10 and the stacker 12 is a sheet transfer conveyor 19 formed of a frame 20 rotatably supporting spaced rollers 21, 22 over which is trained an endless belt 23. One of the rollers, such as roller 22, is adapted to be driven by a motor 24 in manner that sheets disposed on the upper reach of the belt will be carried in a direction from the shear to the stacker.

The exit end of conveyor 19, that is, the conveyor end adjacent the stacker 12, is mounted on a pedestal 25 (see also FIG. 3) for swinging movement about a vertical pivot 26. The axis of pivot 26 not only intersects the longitudinal axis 27 of the conveyor 19 but also intersects the sheet entry path axis 17 of the stacker 12.

The entry end of conveyor 19, that is, the conveyor end adjacent the shear 10, is slidably supported on an arcuate base 28 along which it is shiftable about the pivot axis 26. Means are provided for shifting the conveyor 19 about the pivot 26 and as herein disclosed, a fluid cylinder 29 has at one end a piston rod 30 which is pivotally secured to the conveyor frame 20 (see especially FIG. 4) and has its other end pivotally secured to a pedestal bracket 31. In the position of parts viewed in FIG. 2, extension of the piston rod 30 will swing the conveyor 19 in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot 26 while retraction of such rod will swing the conveyor about its pivot in a clockwise direction.

In a manner to be disclosed and with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, operation of cylinder 29 is controlled by a sensing device disposed at the entry end of conveyor 19 and is herein disclosed as being formed of two pair of photo-cells 32, 33 mounted on a bracket structure 34 secured to the conveyor frame 20. One photo-cell of each pair is mounted beneath the path of travel of the sheets while the other cell of each pair is mounted above such travel path. The cells of each pair are, of course, in cooperable relation and are shown disposed in vertical alignment with each other. The photo-cell pair 32 is preferably fixedly disposed in alignment with the longitudinal axis 27 of the conveyor 19 while the photo-cell pair 33 is adjustable toward and away from such axis along the bracket structure 34 in any convenient manner.

OPERATION With the parts positioned as seen in FIG. 2 and with conveyor 19 operating in a manner to convey sheets discharged from the shear 10 to the stacker 12, it will be assumed that a sheet S is about to be discharged from the shear onto the entry end of conveyor 19. Note that in this position of parts, the longitudinal axis 27 of conveyor 19 coincides with the entry path axis 17 of the stacker 12 and with the longitudinal axis 18 of the shear 10. Moreover, the sheet S is shown being discharged in centered relation with the longitudinal axis 18 of the shear and, it is assumed that the photo-cell pair 33 has been adjusted for the width of the sheets being handled for registry with the adjoining edge of the Sheet.

As the sheet discharged from the shear obscures the photo-cell pair 32, a signal will be generated to alert photo-cell pair 33 that a sheet is in position to be sensed. Since the adjoining sheet edge will at this time be in partially obscuring relation with the photo-cell pair 33, no signal will be sent to the fluid cylinder 29 and thus the conveyor will remain in the position shown wherein its longitudinal axis coincides with the entry path axis 17 of the stacker 12. The sheet S, centered on the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, will be transported thereby and discharged into the stacker in alignment with the latters entry path.

Turning now to FIG. 5, it will be assumed that the next sheet S discharged from the shear 10 will be ofiset the amount shown at X from the longitudinal axis 18 of the shear and, of course, the coinciding axis 17 of the stackers sheet entry path. As before described, when the sheet S obscures the photo-cell pair 32, a signal will be generated alerting photo-cell pair 33 and, with the conveyor initially in the position of FIG. 2, such pair will not be obscured at all by the adjacent sheet edge since such edge Will be spaced therefrom. The non-obscurance aforesaid of the cell pair 33 will generate a signal causing cylinder 29 to shift the conveyor 19 in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot 26 to the position seen in FIG. wherein the photo-cell pair 33 is once again partially obscured by the adjoining edge of the sheet. Upon partial obscurance of the photo-cell 33, the cylinder 29 will retain the conveyor in the position shown until the next sheet is discharged from the shear.

With the conveyor 19 shifted about its pivot to the position seen in FIG. 5 as above described, it will be noted that the longitudinal axis 27 of the conveyor is now skewed to intersect the longitudinal centerline 35 of the sheet S at the leading edge thereof and, as the sheet is transported along the conveyor to successive positions S. 1, S. 2 and S. 3, the sheet will progressively approach the axis 17 of the stacker sheet entry path. Upon arrival of the sheet at the pivot 26 and its immediate subsequent discharge into the stacker, the sheet will be aligned with the axis 17 of the stacker entry path for proper entry thereunto with minimum guidance from the stacker sid walls 14, 15. i

As each sheet is discharged from the shear, the conveyor 19 will be shifted to skew its longitudinal axis in the direction and the amount necessary to insure arrival of the sheet at the stacker in alignment with its entry path a sabove described. Obviously, if a sheet is discharged from the shear in offset relation opposite that shown in FIG. 5, total obscurance of the photo-cell pair 33 will cause the cylinder to shift the conveyor about its pivot 26 in a clockwise direction the amount necessary to again cause partial obscurance of such cell pair. While a considerable amount of ofiset between successive sheets has been disclosed in FIGS. 2 and 5, it is to be understood that in normal circumstances of operation, only a slight variation between most successively discharged sheets will occur and thus little shifting of the conveyor between successive sheets will be necessary.

I claim:

1. In the art of transferring successive sheets of material from a sheet-discharging device to a distant sheet-receiving device, the latter having a sheet entry path with which entering sheets must substantially align, the improved method which comprises conveying each sheet from said sheet-discharging device to said sheet-receiving device along a path which intersects the sheet entry path of said shet-receiving device,

sensing the position of each sheet prior to the entry of each sheet onto the path,

and shifting the path along which each sheet will be conveyed prior to entry of each sheet thereinto and in response to the position of each sheet as determined by the sensing means.

2. Apparatus for use intermediate sheet-receiving means and sheet-discharging means, the former having a sheet entry path with which entering sheets must substantially align and the latter discharging successive sheets toward said receiving means but along respective paths which may be misaligned with the sheet entry path of said receivin means, the improvement comprising a conveyor extending between said sheet-discharging and said sheet-receiving means for transporting successive sheets therebetween,

sensing means for detecting the amount of misalignment between the path of discharge of each sheet from said sheet-discharging means and the entry path of said sheet-receiving means,

and means responsive to said sensing means for shifting said conveyor in manner to cause discharge of sheets therefrom to said sheet-receivin g means in substantial alignment with the latters sheet entry path aforesaid.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said sensing means is disposed adjacent the end of said conveyor closest said sheet-discharging means.

4. The construction of claim 2 and further comprising pivot means about which said conveyor is shiftable and located adjacent the end of said conveyor closest said sheetreceiving means.

5. The construction of claim 4 wherein said sensing means is disposed adjacent the end of said conveyor closest said sheet-discharging means.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein said sensing means is movable about said pivot means axis with said conveyor.

7. The construction of claim 4 wherein the axis of said pivot means bisects the sheet entry path of said sheet-receiving means.

8. The construction of claim 7 wherein said pivot means axis also bisects the longitudinal axis of said conveyor, and wherein said conveyor shifting means shifts said conveyor about said pivot means axis in response to signals received from said sensing means to intersect the longitudinal axis of said conveyor with the longitudinal centerline of a sheet at its leading end as the latter is discharged on to said conveyor from said sheet-discharging means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,424 4/1941 Spiess .2'7149 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner W. S. CARSON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 271-45 

